What can we actually grow in an Aerogarden?

Over time, garnering systems have evolved and advanced to more practical and self-sustaining methods applicable in various ways. One such innovation is Aerogarden, an indoor gardening system that uses neither sunlight nor soil.

Aero-gardening allows you to grow plants in regulated conditions enabling them to grow and produce all years around. It is a great system to adopt; however, you need to know the type of plants to grow in your aerogarden.

In this article, you will learn of the best things to grow in an aerogarden. You will understand how these things grow in such conditions and what you can do to start on the right note.

Key Takeaways

• An aerogarden is a type of hydroponic system that is soil-free, allowing you to plant and grow low-maintenance plants indoors.
• You can grow vegetables such as cucumbers, pepper, tomatoes, salad greens such as lettuce and kale, herbs such as mint, rosemary, basil, and some flowers.

What is an Aerogarden?

An aerogarden is a hydroponic system that is soil-free, foolproof, and a perfect choice for easy and low-maintenance indoor gardens. It consists of a chamber for water and plant food, another chamber for seeds, and attached light.

This kind of hydroponics is better known as aeroponics which is the process of growing plants in nutrient-rich, moisture-inclusive environments without the need for soil or an aggravate medium [1].

This model makes it easy to grow plants all year round, thanks to the control over conditions. As a grower, you can control each parameter and craft an environment that allows plants to grow and thrive, regardless of outside conditions.

Best Plants To Grow in an Aerogarden

Aeroponic systems work well with many herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Some plants are much more challenging to grow considering the soil-less system that wouldn’t support most plants’ root systems [2].

Below are some of the plants that do well in aerogardens.

1. Vegetables

Not many vegetables can grow in aerogardens, but you could still utilize the garden growing some. Obviously, external plants like corn cannot thrive in aeroponics, considering how tall they grow and the amount of space they need to produce.

On the same note, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and radishes cannot grow in aeroponics as there is not enough spacing to spread the roots sufficiently. A few of the vegetables you can grow are described below.

Pepper

Pepper is a staple vegetable, and its demand is always high. Pepper grows well in well-drained areas; therefore, an aerogarden would do it justice. Additionally, pepper does not need much space to grow and produce, which works perfectly in aerogardens.

Each pepper plant produces an average of 5 to 10 peppers, which is a high yield per square meter. You will just need a few of these plants in your aerogarden to meet your homestead’s demand for pepper.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are also ideal to grow in an aerogarden. However, they need quite some space as they are climbing plants, but you can provide adequate space for cucumbers with proper planning.

The only downside to growing cucumbers in an aerogarden is you will have to facilitate artificial pollination since these are insect-pollinated. The best approach is to install a battery-operated bee pollinator to enable pollination.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are some of the most popular vegetables worldwide, which means they are never enough. If you eat lots of tomatoes, you might consider adding them to your aerogarden.

The good thing is that you can enjoy them all year round, meeting the demand of your family. You can grow baby, cherry, or the regular fully grown tomatoes. You just need to get the spacing right and ensure the environmental conditions are right during every growth stage.

2. Fresh Herbs

Herbs are widely used in spicing up meals, and typically everyone has a favorite herb they’d like to grow. They are easy to plant and grow, making them some of the most common plants aero gardeners grow. Below are some of the common aeroponics herbs.
Coriander

Coriander is one of the most popular seasoning herbs, useful in a variety of meals. It is super easy to grow in an aerogarden, thanks to the cool conditions aerogardens have. You do not need much prep work to grow it, yet you get a fresh supply every time you need some.

Basil

Basil is one of the strongest and tastiest herbs, usually utilized in soups, stews, and pasta. If you enjoy flavoring your food with basil, you should consider growing it in your aerogarden. Like coriander, it does not need a lot of maintenance and thrives perfectly in an aerogarden.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a warm herb that works well in a variety of dishes. It can be pretty easy to grow in an aerogarden. The good thing is that you do not need a lot of rosemary plants to meet your supply.

A few are enough since you can harvest just what you need and leave the stem to keep producing. Like most herbs, rosemary does not require a lot of space to thrive in an aeroponic system; therefore, quite easy to incorporate.

Mint

Mint comes in various species, all useful in different foods, not forgetting the health benefits it has. You can choose your favorite variety and add it to your aerogarden, among other herbs.

3. Salad Greens

Salad greens are some of the most fool-proof plants you can grow in an aerogarden. Some of these include kale, lettuce, arugula, beet leaves, etc. These have a fast maturity rate allowing you to enjoy them quicker and continue to do so as they grow.

Lettuce is one of the most popular salad greens and the easiest to grow in aeroponic systems. The good thing is that you can harvest lettuce by plucking the mature leaves, leaving the younger sprouting ones to grow, enjoying the vegetable for a longer period.

4. Berries

A fresh bowl of berries handpicked from your aerogarden is a grower’s dream, and you can achieve this by growing some in your aerogarden. Some of the berries that do well in aerogardens are strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

These do not take up much space and thrive in the cooler, controlled conditions in aeroponic systems. They are easy to plant and grow; however, they need close monitoring and supervision as they can be fragile.

5. Flowers

Most flowers can only grow in specific weather conditions, but surprisingly, you can enjoy the bloom all year round. With the regulated systems of aerogardens, you can sustain some flowers throughout the year, regardless of the weather patterns outside.

The best thing about aerogardens is that you can control the nutrients and light, which allows you to craft specific parameters to meet your plants’ needs. Flowers thrive with light, and LED lights in aerogardens can come in handy to cater to that.

Final Thoughts

If you have a small yard but want to grow plants, you can utilize the indoor space you have to set up an aerogarden. Thanks to the low maintenance, the plants listed above can be a great starting point as a beginner.